Sydney Notes. New Year's Day I '-Crowds 1 packed, jamjned and perspiring. Overhead, sullen clouds through which the sun occasionally brettks with fierce brilliancy. ? A shout pasties and sways the crowd — ' Here'they come,'- and our listening ears. catth the noteg of a military band.' The great and gorgeous Common wealth procession is near us; Tlie Lancers fining - the streets' grow: iiij perative-sfn their ' demand to' ' '-stand back please ' — the mob bbedme more resolute to do no such thing. And they come — Banners and bands, soldiers and ceremonial cars, more soldiers, some officials, more bands, more soldiers. For miles and miles that glittering pageant sweeps and curves. Some of the men are already- looking weary with their inarch in the sweltering heat : others are jaunly and trim, ready with a gratified smile to greet the cheering which roars round them. The Indians praiice by, swarthy faces with flashing eyes and teeth, and raiment ? like unto the peiicock's plu mage. Then ...

The Lute Mi-. Fraiiks or Booabiila. 'Lana' in the 'Sydney Mail ' writes oftlie late Mr. Franks : — On tlie 1 Gth instant there died in his .sixty-f'ourth year, at Melbourne, Robert William Franks for '27 years manager of* Booabula station, near Wanganella, In many ways the deceased wns a man of note. Born in Tasmania, ? where for many years his father was Chief Magistrate of'Laun ceston, when quite young lie emigrated 'to New South Wales and acquired practical pastoral experience in Kiverina on the Yanko blocks, then the property of the late W. R. Forlonge. So pleased was Mr Foi'longe with Franks's ability that he sent him, although not vet 21 years of age, to stock up the two properties— Beeniery and Bellalie — lie had pur chased from the Began River Company. One of'tlie condi tions of tenure from the Government was that each block was to be stocked within a certain time, and young Franks was instructed to carry out the condition, although the term had nearlv expired. In those days...

Deniliquiu Doings. Mr R Buckley, late Tele graph Master, has been re lieved by Mr C. H. Fitzgerald Acting Supervisor of the Head Office, Sydney. Mr Buckley left Deniliquin on Thursday morning by coach for Jerilderie en route for Kiama. A gathering took place at the Court-house on Tuesday evening last for the purpose of celebrating the advent of the new century and the Common wealth. The Court House was brilliantly lit with gas, and the entrance had been specially decorated with flowers and bunting by the Sheriffs officer. The botanical surroundings of the. place were also much ap preciated. The Town Baud was in attendance, and played appropriate and loyal music. The police Magistrate, Mr. F. W. Garstang, after a short speech called for three cheers for- the Queen aud Common wealth, which were heartily responded to. Cheers were also, given for the Police Magis tbi&amp;te.

I Tlie Obstruction on the Kcw Itniiway Line. Confession ok a Boy. The attempt which was made . an Tuesday afternoon to derail the. Kew train at tl:e cutting by the Linda-crescent bridge was the subject of inquiries by Detective - sergeant Dungey and Detective Considine yes- - terday. They were successful in obtaining from a boy, 10 years of age, the admission that lie and three other chil dren, two of them aged 1 2 and the other 6, were responsible for the mischief. He stated that the}' were returning home from the Richmond Swimming Baths, and when passing the spot the idea of placing an ob struction 011 the line suggested itself. They immediately acted 011 the suggestion, and pulling a loose picket out of an adja cent tree-guard, they laid it across the line, and banked the ends with earth. A surveyor's [-eg was tliun pulled up and jammed between the outer rail and the check rail 011 the curve, stones being placed under it to prevent the wheel of'tlie engine from knocking it out. T...

TELEaRAMS ('From our. own Correspondent.] SYDNEY, Monday. Yesterday was observed -as Commonwealth - Sunday, and special services were held morn^ ing, afternoon^ and evening-* in' St. Andrew's Cathedral, 'which was crowded to the door. The Governor-General was present. A National Thanksgiving Service was also held in the Town -hall yesterday afternoon. Lord Hopetoun was present. Mr., Holder, Premier of South Austr&amp;lify preached sit the Wesleyan Cnurclj., morning and evening. Alderman. R. H. Price, ^pf Launceston, died suddenly on Friday morning whilst on a visit to.. the . Commonwealth Celebrations,:.; .. : ?- . It is stated that Sir . William Lyne will probably, contest the Cowper ? electorate in- the ap proaching federal elections, which are supposed to take place the' first week in April. It is reported that the posi tion to be accepted by R..- E. O'Connor in ~ the Federal Cabinet will be Vice-President of the Executive Couhcil. ' A yetting man named Mau rice Turpill was s...

J. TRACKER, TAILOR. Twenty years cxp rience na a Culler in Lontl m aiiiI the Colonies. High-cta&amp;s Tailoring at City Pi ices. Opp-tsite PO-, HAY. £3tc IjlORSALB, th- well known Pony COB * WEB, in lip top condition. For furtlicr pirticulars, npply tin's office. Municipal District of Hay. NOTICE is hereby given that during the temper fly tib-ence of the Council Clerk, the Council Offi 'es will only he open MONDAY'S and THURSDAYS, fro-n 10 till 4. and on SA'I (JRDAYS from 10 to 12. G. A MILi'JCR, 57-tc Mayor. Beueridge &amp; Go. i Mcrclimits Storekeepers. J SUCCESSORS TO P. B. TKKKY &amp; CO., II. I Y. i ? i LITERARY GEM No. 3. ' He that fights and runs away I May turn and fight another day ; | But lie tliat is in battle slain | Will never rise to fight again. ' A great authority says — 'These celebrated lines the authorship of which, for eighty long years, has baffled the researches and puzzled the ingenuity T-f the whole literary brother hood.' We find our literary gem...

UncIer Tlic Roof-Tree, ' From grave to gay— from lively to ' severe.' . (Bv Deborah.) It has been officially decided . that . . every building in the Paris Exhibition with only a few exceptions, is to -be:-.!.-' pulled dawn; and the large space thus : ? left laid out with trees and gardens.- - ' ' Hairdressers ' . are trying to bring in a low coiffure in England, but. have ^carcply succeeded. ' One sees,' says Lady Violet Grevjlle, ' the most ? gro tesque head dresses at the theatre, where it is evident fin attempt has , . been made to copy some fastiiona,ble' ' style. Lst me beg my'.' 'readers to. judge for themselveg in the matter, to study their own physiognomy a little. r ' more, neither to crimp straight ah3 !l - glossy ? tresses nor to' smooth Out re bglnous curls, to adopt their coiffure to ..t{ie shape of theii- faces. To cultivate an ? .'individuality, even a plain and ' homely -ortc, ' is far - -m we- satisfactory ? * ; .tliih' to pose as the feeble', washed'o'ut, inferior...

Ladies and Gentlemen, — 1 am sending out a great many copies of this'1''' iBsue free, for approval. It is admitted : ? on every hand that two papers arc- ? ° needed to give both sides of the various subjects occunvinn the nublic mind. I have therefore reduced tlie price -of tlie ' ltiverina Times' to lO.s. a year (in1 ' advance) and 12s. (booked), with the hope that, if you liave hitherto taken no paper, or whatever other paper you', may take, you will also patronise tlie 'Times.' — Joun Andrew, Proprietor

Aii Impressive Ccremouy. Closing the Porta Sancta Door. Tlie impressive ceremony of the closing tlie Porta Sanc ta ( Holy Door) at St. Peter's, in Rome, took place 011 Dec. 24th. His Holiness Pope Leo the Thirteenth performed the cere mony, spreading the mortar 011 the threshold of the Porta Sancta with a golden trowel, and fixing thereon three inscri bed bricks, together with an urn and a number of medals and portraits. ' The cereniony was witnessed by 40,000 persons. Account of the Ceremony, j There is in connection with the Jubilee a splendid cere mony, called the opening and closing, of tlie Porta Sancta. The object of this ceremony is to impress the faithful with the fact tliat the gates of Heaven are tlirown open, through the privilege of the jubilee indul gence, to the repentant .sinner. On Christmas Eve a proces sion takes place composed of the Pope, carried in sedia ges tatoria, of the cardinals, of the bishops and prelates of the Pontifical Court, of the clergy both secula...

New Year Honours. Australians Distinguished. London, Jan. 1. The London 'Gazette' pub lished last night contains a list of the New Year honours, among which are the follow ing (Privy Councillors (P.C.) To be members of her Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council : — ? Mr. Edmund Barton, Q.C., Premier of the Commonwealth of Australia. Sir Samuel Walker Griffith, G.C.M.G., Chief Justice of Queensland. Knights Bachelor (K.T.) To be Knights Bachelor : — Mr. Hiram Stevens Maxim, chief engineer and director of Messrs. Vickers, Sons, and Maxim, Limited. Mr. Henry J. Miller, Speaker of the Legislative Council of New Zealand. Dr. John Quick, of Vic toria. G.C.B. To be Knights Grand Cross of the most Honourable Order of the Bath Sir Alfred Milner, G.C.M.G, K.C.B., High Commissioner for South Africa. Sir Robert Roiner, a Lord Justice of Appeal. Sir Francis Mo watt, K.C.B, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury. ' G.C.M.G. To be Knight Grand Cross of the most distinguished order of St. Michael aud...

Tassing Thoughts (By '.'The AVanderbb.') The consummation of our hopes are confirmed, and we stand before the nations of the world a United Aus tralia. The initiator of this glorious union, the illustrous Sir Henry Parkes, has gone to 'that bourne from whence no'traveller'returns,' but his memory will live in the minds of tlie Australian people for ever and aye. The tribute paid to the departed statesman^ ^tlie State Banquet, at £he request of die Federal Premier, whfen a silent' toast was honored, was fitting and appro priate. Of the future we entertain no dread — united together in peace and ' conrai^-we ceui safely -ieave the Test te the ''brotherhood of man.1' WTien we cast our eyes towtirds- America arifl ' realise its greatness, remembering that its initiation was fraught with discord and bloodshed, surely we lifive no cause ?for fear and disttust. We stand on the threshold of a new national life with light hearts and bright hopes, leaving behind us all petty provincial jealou...